An Online and Onsite Training for University Teachers' Professional Development: Methods and Data from the TED-SOEP Project

Alice Roffi; Claudia Baiata; Stefano Cuomo; Gabriele Biagini; Maria Ranieri

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The Future of Education 16th Edition 2026

An Online and Onsite Training for University Teachers' Professional Development: Methods and Data from the TED-SOEP Project

Alice Roffi; Claudia Baiata; Stefano Cuomo; Gabriele Biagini; Maria Ranieri

Abstract

STEM teaching in higher education is increasingly challenged not only by low levels of student engagement and uneven learning outcomes, but also by the difficulty of supporting lecturers in adopting student-centred pedagogies [1;2]. In response to these issues, the Erasmus project “Transforming STEM teacher education in South Africa through Self-Directed Open Educational Practices” (TED-SOEP) seeks to enhance the teaching competencies of South African STEM university lecturers and professors by promoting the integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP). Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is the process in which individuals identified the learning needs, the objectives and the strategies for their achievement, using the appropriate resources and finally evaluating the outcome [3].

Within this framework, the University of Florence implemented a professional development pathway, supporting South African STEM lecturers in rethinking their teaching practices. A distinctive feature of the program lies in its integrated design, which combines SDL principles with open strategies and active learning models. The training was structured as a blended course in which the online part provided a flexible environment for individual exploration, while the on-site phase enabled contextualization of practice in several STEM disciplines and collaborative design of teaching practices, through a gamified approach (4Ts game) [4]. This articulation allowed participants to progressively move from personal engagement with innovative strategies to their co-design in authentic educational settings. The online and onsite courses were organized into five modules, each focusing on a specific strategy supported by digital technologies: OER, Inquiry-Based Learning, Problem-Based Learning, Simulation, and Game-Based Learning. The online phase positively impacted STEM teaching skills. Its modular design supported exploration of active, digital approaches, while accommodating different entry levels and learning profiles, fostering personalized pathways, knowledge consolidation, and gap bridging [5]. The on-site phase showed high engagement and effectiveness. Participants valued innovative digital tools (e.g. AI, simulations), pedagogical models, and collaboration, expressing strong intention to apply them in practice [6]. In this sense, the training not only presented innovative teaching strategies but also modelled a pedagogically grounded approach to professional development for STEM educators in higher education.

Keywords: Open Educational Resources; Open Educational Practices; STEM; Innovative teaching; Higher Education; Self-directed learning

REFERENCES

[1] Gravett, S., & Petersen, N. (2022). Future-proofing teacher education. Taylor & Francis.

[2] Kleinschmit, A. J., Rosenwald, A., Ryder, E. F., Donovan, S., Murdoch, B., Grandgenett, N. F., ... & Morgan, W. (2023). Accelerating STEM education reform: Linked communities of practice promote creation of open educational resources and sustainable professional development. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 16.

[3] Loeng, S. "Self‐directed learning: A core concept in adult education." Education Research International 2020.1 (2020): 3816132.

[4] Pozzi, F., Persico, D., Passarelli, M., Ceregini, A., Polsinelli, P., & Bicocchi, M. (2022). Smartness dimensions in designing collaborative learning activities. In 2022 IEEE 21st Mediterranean Electrotechnical Conference (MELECON) (pp. 632-637). IEEE.

[5] Roffi, A., Baiata, C., Cuomo, S., Ranieri, M. (2026). Improving STEM teaching in higher education: a collaboration between Europe and South Africa. In INTED2026 Proceedings 2-4 March 2026, Valencia, IATED, ISBN 978-84-09-82385-7.

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Publication date: 2026/06/19
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